Chemical and Biological Technologies in Agriculture最新文献

Inulin, a polysaccharide predominantly composed of fructose molecules, possesses a linear chain structure with β-(2 → 1) linkages between fructose units and usually has a glucose molecule at one end of the chain. It is not only an edible natural functional polysaccharide, but also a soluble dietary fiber, with a variety of physiological functions such as antioxidant, promoting the growth of gut flora and maintaining its homeostasis, enhancing gut immune function, promoting nutrient absorption, lowering glycemia, as well as providing anti-carcinogenic, weight loss and constipation relief. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the latest research advances in the extraction, purification, structural characterization, and bioactivities. It is intended to lay the theoretical and research foundations to enable further exploration and effective progress in the advancement towards the production of inulin.

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Background

Exploring the therapeutic potential of unutilized plant parts from agricultural crops represents a promising strategy for discovering novel medications with high positive economic value. This study aimed to characterize the composition, antidiabetic, anti-obesity, antioxidant, and cytotoxic effects of volatile oil (VO) extracted from the leaves of Citrus japonica trees. This is the first research to assess the C. japonica VO’s anti-obesity, anti-lipase, and cytotoxic properties. Using 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-5-(3-carboxymethoxyphenyl)-2-(4-sulfophenyl)-2H-tetrazolium (MTS) assays and gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS) analysis, the components of VO and its capacity to suppress the growth of cancer and other abnormal cells were ascertained, respectively. Stable 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) free radicals, p-nitrophenyl butyrate (PNPB), and dinitrosalicylic acid (DNSA) assays were employed to determine antioxidant, anti-obesity, and antidiabetic activities, respectively.

Results

The C. japonica leaf showed significant diversity in type and percentage of VO molecules. Overall, 45 compounds were identified in the VO, constituting 99.69% of the total oil composition. γ-Muurolene (28.12%), β-eudesmol (10.93%), γ-eudesmol (8.44%), germacrene B (7.39%), and elemol (7.27%) are the major characterized molecules. According to the inhibition percentage results of DPPH free radicals, porcine pancreatic lipase, and α-amylase, the VO exhibits strong antioxidant properties and weak inhibitory effects on lipase and α-amylase enzymes. The C. japonica VO showed a moderate cytotoxic effect against Hep3B and considerable activity on B16F1, CaCo-2, HeLa, MCF-7, and HepG2, with IC₅₀ doses in the range of 69.7–171.96 µg/mL. The VO cytotoxic effect IC₅₀ against the normal cell line LX-2 was 224.95 µg/mL.

Conclusion

The current study collectively presented the chemical constituents of C. japonica leaf VO from Palestine for the first time and demonstrated its inhibitory effects against DPPH free radicals, porcine pancreatic lipase, and α-amylase. The results suggest that C. japonica leaf VO has the potential to be used as a natural supplement to prevent or treat cancer, as well as in the food industry as a natural antioxidant.

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Background

The study investigated the impact of D-xylose and D-ribose soaking methods (autoclaved and non-autoclaved) on Robusta coffee's volatile compounds, α-dicarbonyl compounds (α-DCs), and acetic acid. Robusta coffees were soaked with D-xylose and D-ribose solutions, and the beans were dried until constant moisture content and lightly roasted.

Results

The sugar treatment led to an 85.6% reduction in pyrazine levels and a 64.4% decrease in pyridine, while pyrroles and furans increased significantly by 84.4% and 16.4%, respectively (p < 0.05). The total concentration of α-DCs was decreased by 24.6–69.2%, with the autoclaved D-xylose sample exhibiting the lowest among all samples. Acetic acid concentration was lower in non-autoclaved samples compared to autoclaved samples (p < 0.05). Principal component analysis indicated autoclave-treated pentose pretreatment reduced pyrazines and increased in the levels of 1-furfurylpyrrole, methyl furfuryl disulfide, 4-ethyl-2-methoxy-phenol, 2-methoxyphenol, 2-acetylpyrrole, pyridine, furfuryl acetate, and acetic acid.

Conclusion

This study, utilizing GC–MS, GC–NPD, and HPLC–UV for compound quantification, offers valuable insights into the changes of volatiles, α-DCs, and acetic acid in Robusta coffee soaking with D-xylose and D-ribose, suggesting potential applications in the coffee industry to modulate flavor profiles.

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Hydroponic farming has emerged as a promising method that can enable year around crop production, particularly in regions with non-arable land. Ensuring precise control over nutrient levels and growing conditions is imperative for optimizing crop quality and nutritional value. However, the existing state-of-the-art nutrient assessment methods demand tedious sample preparation and often prove to be either destructive or offline, lacking in options for in situ monitoring. Previous approaches to nutritional evaluation using laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) utilized multiple laser shots or labor-intensive sample preparation to achieve enhanced sensitivity. In this context, we propose a single-shot LIBS system with a custom-made optical collection unit coupled to spectrograph to improve sensitivity and reduce sample damage by employing low excitation energy levels (~ 1.5 mJ). This study demonstrates in situ nutrient monitoring of hydroponically grown lettuce leaves and roots using single-shot LIBS analysis, paving the way for enhanced crop cultivation practices and improved agricultural productivity. Additionally, we discuss energy optimization strategies aimed at improving sensitivity and achieving a high signal-to-background ratio, which are essential for effective and safe nutrient monitoring and analysis in hydroponic farming systems. The results and analysis reveal that highly reproducible and sensitive LIBS spectra can be obtained directly from lettuce plants without any prior sample preparation.

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Potato black scurf caused by Rhizoctonia solani Kühn is widespread worldwide. The exploration and analysis of the infection mechanism of Rhizoctonia solani Kühn has important scientific significance to enhance the disease resistance of potato and other horticultural crops, and then break the restriction of fungal harm to agricultural production. The physiological and biochemical indexes and the expression levels of related genes were measured at 0, 1, 4, 8 and 16 days (T0, T1, T2, T3, T4) after inoculation with pathogenic bacteria. The results showed that the contents of L-phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL), peroxidase (POD), lignin, total phenols (TP), and flavonoids increased significantly in potato after infection by Rhizoctonia solani Kühn, with the contents of PAL and POD reaching a peak at 8 d and then decreasing, and the contents of lignin and total phenols changing most significantly, reaching the highest levels at day 8 (T3) and day 16 (T4), respectively. During the infestation, the content of eight phenolic compounds increased, and the genes responsible for the lignin synthesis pathway were upregulated. However, in the later stage of infestation, the expression of two genes (PAL PG0031457 and PG2021549, HCT PG0014959, and COMT PG0011266) was down-regulated. In the correlation analysis, gene expression levels of all the genes, except POD (PG0005062), CCoAOMT (PG0018688), and COMT (PG0011266), were found to be positively correlated with the contents of lignin, total phenols, flavonoids, PAL, POD, and eight phenolic substances. Therefore, based on a sound understanding of the occurrence mechanism of Potato black scurf, this experiment analyzed the effect of Rhizoctonia solani Kühn infestation on the content of relevant metabolites in the lignin synthesis pathway as well as gene expression in potatoes, which provides a scientific basis for the prevention and control management of potato black scurf.

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Background

Silage emits climate- and environment-relevant gases during fermentation and feed-out periods. This trial aimed to determine the unknown carbon dioxide (CO₂), methane, nitrous oxide, ethanol, and ethyl acetate emissions of constant maize silage material over both periods. The results will be published in two consecutive articles (Part A: anaerobic fermentation period, Part B: aerobic storage period).

Methods

The untreated control (CON) was compared with the chemical additive treatment (CHE; 0.5 g sodium benzoate and 0.3 g potassium sorbate per kg fresh matter) and the biological additive treatment (BIO; 10⁸ colony-forming units (CFU) Lentilactobacillus buchneri and 10⁷ CFU Lactiplantibacillus plantarum per kg fresh matter). Barrel silos (n = 4) were connected to gas bags to quantify gas formation during anaerobic fermentation (30 or 135 ensiling days). Glass jar silos (n = 12) were used for laboratory silage analysis.

Results

CHE produced significantly (p < 0.05) less gas (6.7 ± 0.3 L per kg dry matter ensiled material (kg_DM) until ensiling day 14.0 ± 0.0) and ethanol (8.6 ± 1.5 mg kg_DM^–1) than CON did (8.5 ± 0.2 L kg_DM^–1 until ensiling day 19.5 ± 6.4; 12.2 ± 1.5 (mg ethanol) kg_DM^–1). BIO indicates prolonged gas formation (9.1 ± 0.9 L kg_DM^–1 until ensiling day 61.3 ± 51.9; 12.0 ± 2.1 mg kg_DM^–1). CO₂ is the main component of the gas formed. All treatments formed methane and nitrous oxide in small quantities. CON emitted significantly more CO₂eq emissions than BIO and less than CHE (p < 0.05). Additives had no effect on ethyl acetate gas emissions. For BIO, ethanol concentrations in the material (r_S = 0.609, p < 0.05) and gas quantities (r_S = 0.691, p < 0.05) correlate with ethyl acetate gas quantities. All the treatments exhibited decreasing gas and CO₂ quantities, and the dry matter mass increased between ensiling days 14 and 30 (− 0.810 ≤ r_S ≤ 0.442; p < 0.05 to p = 0.20).

Conclusion

Silage generates climate- and environmental-relevant gases during fermentation and silage additives affect this pattern. Gas formation exceeds the fixation potential, and the carbon footprint of silage fermentation is negative.

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Green nanotechnology has significant potential for use in agriculture particularly due to their antifungal properties, ability to control fungal diseases and reduce the reliance on chemical fungicides. Biotic stresses in agriculture have caused widespread damage worldwide, and green NPs provided eco-friendly alternatives to traditional chemical treatments, which are frequently toxic and harmful to the ecosystem. Green NPs could become an important tool in modern agricultural practices and environmental remediation if appropriate research is conducted to identify cost-effective production methods as well as safe and sustainable applications. In order to understand the potential of green NPs for sustainable agriculture and identify potential risks, research is ongoing into the effectiveness in agriculture sectors. Research update on green NPs is presented in this paper using data published on science direct over the last 15 to 20 years to clarify and understand the antifungal mechanisms of green metallic NPs, carbon and graphene nanotubes, nanocomposites as well as other type of nanomaterials. These green NPs are found to be more effective against pathogens on crops and humans than conventional fungicide approaches. They are very effective against fungi that affect cereal crops, including Fusarium oxysporum, Botrytis cinerea, and Candida species, etc. The green NPs developed using green synthesis methods are both cost-effective and environmentally friendly. Moreover, research is also required to identify the best methods for applying green NPs for crop production and sustainable agriculture. Furthermore, research should be undertaken to establish the most cost-effective methods of making and deploying green nanoparticles at a large field size study where there is fungal attack that diminishes agricultural output and affects global crop production.

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Background

Winter rapeseed, the sole overwintering oilseed crop in northern China, emphasizes winter resilience, yet epigenetic regulatory mechanisms governing overwintering memory remain poorly understood.

Results

In this study, the root collar tissues from the robust cold-resistant variety Longyou-7 were sampled during the pre-winter period (S1), overwintering periods (S2–S5), and re-greening period (S6), to analyze overall genomic DNA methylation levels using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The result showed that DNA methylation level exceeded 80% in the S1 stage. Throughout the overwintering periods, methylation levels displayed a decreasing trend in S3, followed by an increase in S5, and a pronounced decrease in S6. Consequently, S1, S3, S5, and S6 periods were chosen for whole-genome bisulfite sequencing analyses to elucidate the overwintering memory mechanisms of Longyou-7. The result revealed that DNA methylation primarily occurs in the CG context in Longyou-7. However, methylation of mC sites is most prevalent in the CHH type, gradually decreasing during overwintering periods. Analysis of methylation patterns in specific genomic regions of Longyou-7 showed that the highest methylation levels in the intergenic region. Moreover, mC sites in repeats and transposon elements are distributed differently across the three contexts. Subsequently, differentially methylated regions and promoters of Longyou-7 were identified during various periods compared to the S1 stage, followed by joint analysis with transcriptome sequencing. Functional enrichment analysis highlighted the involvement of most overlapping genes in the MAPK signaling pathway, plant hormone signal transduction, and starch and sucrose metabolism pathways. Changes in candidate gene expression within these three pathways correlated closely with DNA methylation levels.

Conclusions

Our findings underscored the critical role of DNA methylation in regulating the expression of overwintering memory genes in winter rapeseed. These results offer a comprehensive insights into the epigenetic regulatory mechanisms governing winter rapeseed's overwintering memory, while identified overwintering memory genes served as crucial genetic resources for multifaceted breeding of winter-resistant varieties.

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Background

A number of Italian grape berry varieties, such as Fiano (F) and Pallagrello Nero (P), represent National strategic products. Therefore, it is important to identify soil conditions emphasizing their peculiar characteristics as well as find innovative and sustainable treatments improving their compositional and nutraceutical quality. The field spray preparation 500 is a biodynamic product that is presumed to serve as biostimulant on the vine. However, so far, the scientific results probing its effectiveness are still lacking. Moreover, it is necessary to establish a reliable relationship between the grape quality and the spatial microvariability of the vineyard’s soil. On this basis, the main objective of this work consisted in correlating structural and morphological characteristics (via MRI), the primary metabolome (via semi-solid state HRMAS NMR) and important nutraceutical parameters (total phenols and antioxidants via DPPH assay) of F and P grapes with both the action of preparation 500 biostimulant and the vineyard soil microvariability, based on soil apparent electrical conductivity.

Results

HRMAS enabled the identification of the primary metabolome of F and P. The elaboration of ¹H NMR spectra through chemometrics revealed significant changes in F and P grapes, accounting for both soil microvariability and the application of field spray (the latter also confirmed by PLS-DA and Heat-map clustering). Interestingly, for both F and P it was observed a significantly lower content of carbohydrates after biostimulant treatment while MRI revealed diagnostic structural and internal details of intact grapes. The combined use of proton parametric indices, such as relaxation times and diffusion coefficients, indicated alterations induced in grapes by both the spatial microvariability of the soil and the effects of investigated biostimulant. Interestingly, a tight correlation was found between MRI transverse relaxation time and the contents in total phenols and antioxidants.

Conclusions

Our results have proven that both soil spatial microvariability and the application of field spray preparation 500 significantly affect the structural, metabolomic and nutraceutical characteristics of grapes. Moreover, the preparation 500 treatment has increased the nutraceutical value of grapes. Importantly, these data may be potentially used to promote and protect biodynamic grape and predict the quality of the resulting wines.

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Background

Plant biostimulants constitute a promising environmentally friendly alternative for increasing crop yield and tolerance to unfavorable conditions. Among various types of such formulations, botanical extracts are gaining more recognition as products supporting plant performance. Moreover, novel tools such as cold-plasma or low-pressure microwave plasma discharge are being proposed as techniques that might improve their efficacy. Elucidation of the biostimulant’s mode of action requires complex research at a molecular level. Transcriptional changes occurring after biostimulant spraying might be investigated using RT-qPCR. However, this technique requires data normalization against stable endogenous controls.

Results

Here, we tested the expression stability of ten candidate genes in soybean plants exposed to various biostimulants treatment. Selection of the best-performing reference genes was conducted using four algorithms (geNorm, NormFinder, BestKeeper, and ΔCt method). According to the obtained results, Bic-C2 (RNA-binding protein Bicaudal-C) and CYP (cyclophilin type peptidyl-prolyl cis–trans isomerase) showed highest expression stability, while expression of EF1B (elongation factor 1-beta) fluctuated the most among a tested set of candidate genes.

Conclusions

Overall, we recommend using Bic-C2 together with CYP for the RT-qPCR data normalization in soybean biostimulation experiments. To our best knowledge, this is the first comprehensive study of reference genes stability in plants subjected to biostimulant treatment. The results of this study will aid in further biostimulant research in crop plants, facilitating analyses performed on the transcriptional level.

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